E-ferry Ellen wins Eurosolar Award

E-ferry Ellen wins European Solar Prize 2020 Award

Eurosolar is a German organization that works to disseminate knowledge and awareness of sustainable energy solutions. For 21 years, the organisation has given the European Solar Prize to reward the most remarkable sustainable energy solutions from the last year.

This year, in the category 'Transport and Mobility', Ærø's fully electric ferry, the E-ferry Ellen, won the award!

The jury recognized that Ellen demonstrates the great potential for electric mobility in the transport sector, not only when it comes to cars and other vehicles, but also when it comes to ships, for instance ferries. Here at Ærø EnergyLab, which administers and develops new renewable energy solutions, we are naturally very proud on behalf of all of Ærø, but also on behalf of our European partners with whom we share the honors.

In his opening speech, the chairman of Eurosolar, Professor Peter Droege, regretted that the world at large has failed to heed decades old warnings about the need for change and transition, and that the world is accepting scenarios with higher and higher temperature rises, instead of actually solving the problem. There have been too many postponements and compromises. However, the E-ferry gives hope by showing that new, effective solutions are available and ready for implementation.

As representative for E-ferry partnership, Halfdan Abrahamsen from Ærø EnergyLab had the honors of receiving the award and being interviewed by Professor Droege. By his side he had Ærø EnergyLab project manager Cecilie Larsen, naval architect Jens Kristensen, and Henrik Hagbarth Mikkelsen from Marstal School of Navigation. Furthermore, Hanna Huppunen (Danfoss), Mika Lehmusto (Leclanché) and Annie Kortsari (CERTH/HIT) joined the ceremony online.

Congratulations to all E-ferry partners, who are now recipients of both a Danish Design Award and a European Solar Prize - let us hope that the attention given to the E-ferry project will spur many new electric vessels in the coming years.

To read more about Eurosolar and this years awards, please see:
https://www.eurosolar.de/en/index.php/events/european-solar-prize-eurosolar/943-european-solar-prize-2020-awarded-to-to-nine-laureates-online